


Winter of our Content

by PhaedrusOfAthens



Category: 18th Century CE RPF, American Revolution RPF, Hamilton - Miranda, Historical RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-15 00:18:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11794497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhaedrusOfAthens/pseuds/PhaedrusOfAthens
Summary: Alexander & John must take a ride into town on bristling cold day.





	Winter of our Content

I stepped out into the blinding sun of the day and winced at the sudden transition from my dark bedroom to the bright morning light. The cold weather took my breath away as I jumped in place on the stoop trying to warm up. 

I heard the door shut behind me and turned to see Laurens smiling at me. “Cold, are we?” he asked through a laugh. 

 

“The sun is mocking me today,” I replied from under my scarf. “What’s the point of a sunny day if the sun isn’t even warming us?” 

 

“What was that?” he mocked. “I can’t understand you when you’re talking through your scarf.”

 

I just rolled my eyes and moved my scarf away from my mouth to try to warm my fingers by harshly expelling my warm breath into my cupped hands. It was not proving very effective. Everything was cold and I was trying to ignore my painful toes, nose, ears, fingers -- hell, everything. As much as I loved the idea of snow, the reality was often much different. 

 

“We’ve been outside for hardly a minute,” Laurens pointed out. “How can you be so cold already?” He stepped from the stoop and into the snow with a distinct  _ crunch _ . “Shall we?” he held out his hand as if offering to whisk me away on some adventure, but our adventure today was quite mundane. Today was just a courier day. 

 

With the letters tucked safely away in my pack, we trudged our way through the snow to our horses to saddle and ready them to ride into town.  My fingers fumbled with the straps as they grew more and more numb in the biting air. I was not looking forward to their thawing and I had only been outside for less than an hour. 

 

Finally ready to set out, I put my mittens back on, but they hardly seemed to help at all. I shivered when we began riding as the cold crept down the back of my neck and down my spine. I moved my scarf back to cover my mouth and nose and felt the scarf dampening in front of my mouth from my breath. Everything about this was terrible - except the company.

 

“You look a little ridiculous,” Laurens yelled from his horse. 

 

“How are you faring so well?” I yelled back. After all, he was from the south too.

 

He shrugged and replied with a smile, “I must be made of tougher stuff than you.” 

 

Well, I knew  _ that _ wasn’t true. It must have been from his time in London and Geneva, but I refrained from saying as much; breathing hurt my lungs and I didn’t want to argue the point. This stupid cold.

 

Probably surprised that I didn’t respond to his taunt, he glanced back at me to see me shiver. “We’re almost there,” he said reassuringly. I tried closing my eyes to wrinkle my nose in hopes of regaining some feeling in it, but my eyelids seemed to have been frozen open. Great.

 

We made our way into town and ran our errands which accomplished our aide-de-camp duties. Unfortunately, none of this involved much time indoors. 

 

At least the mocking sun had gone away and was replaced by darkening clouds for our ride back to our quarters. “This cold is going to kill me,” I said with an unbecoming sniffle. 

 

“You’re fine,” Laurens replied matter-of-factly. “Besides, I can warm you up later,” he said with a wink. I shivered again and for the first time today not because of the cold. I knew he couldn’t see it, but I grinned under my scarf at him.

 

Finally making it back to camp, we watered and fed our horses and safely stabled them for the night. We stepped out from the stables and saw freshly fallen snow in the candlelit night. “More snow?” I said forlornly.

 

The corners of Laurens’ eyes wrinkled as he smiled and said softly, “I think it’s quite lovely.” I rolled my eyes and tucked my hands underneath each of my arms trying to curl myself up into as small of a profile as I could in an attempt to conserve body heat. Our quarters felt like they were miles away as my feet crunched through the snow. Fortunately (and unfortunately), I could barely feel them anymore. 

 

“Come here,” Laurens said next to me while opening his coat. I glanced around to make sure no one was around. “No one’s here,” he said as if reading my mind. “No one will see.”

 

I sidled over to him and he wrapped his coat and arm around me. I was more than grateful for the warmth. We walked together as one back to our quarters and I was happy to see no candlelight in the windows.

 

The door creaked as Laurens opened it and led me inside. My feet felt like blocks of ice and completely unwieldy as I tried to sneak through the sleeping house. Finally making it to our room, I could take off my now frozen scarf. 

 

“Now let’s get you warmed up,” Laurens said smiling at me and kissing me on the nose. 


End file.
